Kirby

@kirbytheawsum

Public Health Professional. Vermiculture. Urban Gardening. International politics & law follower. Lit, Art, & music appreciator. Disliker of memes. Baggage mostly religious but not angry, just disappointed. Opinions my own.

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Kirby@kirbytheawsum· May 7

A poster on the MARC train that had me rolling with laughter.

A poster on the MARC train by Live Baltimore. Two white women in work casual and flats, maybe in their 60s, holding what appears to be mimosas sit together smiling on a stoop/ stairs. Text reads "Balti-MORE Artsy! [Less fartsy.]

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Apr 12

The best place for research on the views of different segments of religious Americans is @prri.org . Per their most recent Trump's favorability is about 53% among White Catholics. prri.org/spotlight/tr...

PRRI FIGURE 2. Trump Favorability, 2015-2026, by Religious Group (White Christians)
Percent who hold a favorable view of Donald Trump:
All White Americans: 30% in 2015, 36% 2026
White evangelical Protestant: 48% in 2015, 69% in 2026
White mainline/non-evangelical Protestant: 38% in 2015, 45% in 2026
White Catholic: 42% in 2015, 53% in 2026

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Mar 24

I'm going to pretend he means getting vaccinated. You know, like the time Elvis publicly got vaccinated to support the national polio vaccine campaign. "Get vaccinated? Yeah. We'll do that!"

Elvis smiling and getting his polio vaccination as part of the US national polio vaccine campaign in 1954. He is standing between two people with his left sleeve rolled up. One man in a suit smiling and looking down at his arm as he vaccinates him and a woman holding his elbow and smiling at him.

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Mar 4

Also, Timothy Snyder wrote something recently about our military potentially being used on per-hire basis & potentially to enrich the president and his cronies. Which this proposed use of our Navy seems like evidence of that.

The basic structural feature of regional politics is a rivalry between Iran on the one side and Gulf Arab states plus Israel on the other. Given that this structural feature is a far more durable element of politics than the wavering and contradictory statements of the Trump administration, it is a good place to start. And where does it lead?

It leads to personal politics or rather personal gain. Given the stupefyingly overt corruption of the Trump administration, one must ask whether the United States armed forces are now being used on a per-hire basis.

Gulf Arab states who oppose Iranian power have generated extremely generous packages of compensation for companies associated with Trump personally and with members of his family. The United Arab Emirates invested in a family firm. The Saudis have provided numerous de facto gifts. And sometimes the gifts have been simply gifts. The Qataris gave Trump a jet. The list is very long.

And now — we are using military force to take the side of precisely the countries who have enriched Trump and his family. This backdrop must at the very least be stated in the reporting of the war.

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Jan 5

Also, I'm just going to put this here. It was downloaded from CDC for my records earlier in 2025.

This was the CDC image of the childhood vaccine calendar birth-18 as downloaded in early 2025. It's hard to explain so I'm referring you to AAP as a trusted source on vaccine info.
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/155/2/e2024069987/199947/Recommended-Childhood-and-Adolescent-Immunization

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Dec 9

I noticed the @amnesty.org report on tourture & forced disappearances has actionable items. If you were horrified too. Here's snapshots for communication to: - Your Reps and Senators - The Gov't of Florida - the US Gov't (some apply for local/ county) www.amnesty.org/en/documents...

8.1 TO THE GOV'T OF STATE OF FLORIDA
▪ Repeal SB 4-C & all state-level immigration enforcement
▪ End criminalization of migration/ repeal SB 4-C that criminalizes entry into the state for individs not inspected by US immigration officers.
▪ End all agreements b/w state & local law enforcement agencies & fed immigration enforcement agencies, includ all 287(g). Immediately end use of emergency powers to implement/ expand immigration enforcement/ detention operations. Emergency
management authority must not be weaponized to target migrants/ people seeking safety.
▪ Refrain from indiscriminately & arbitrarily detaining migrants/ asylum seekers.
▪ Immediately close the Everglades Detention Facility & all state-run immigration detention facilities, & ensure no individs are held in state-run facilities for immigration purposes. Until this happens:
o Cease use of shackles & other restraints on individs detained for immigration-related reasons.
o Immediately end outdoor punitive confinement (‘the box’)/other disciplinary practices that constitute torture or cruel/ inhuman/ degrading treatment.
o Immediately register individs detained in facility on publicly available site that can be used to locate individs in detention.
▪ Prohibit solitary confinement for individs detained for immigration reasons.
▪ Prioritize essential public services in state budget, incl healthcare, housing & emergency management.
▪ Ensure all individs detained in Florida for immigration-related reasons have prompt, confidential, & unimpeded access to legal counsel & interpretation services, & to quality & adequate healthcare.
▪ Undertake transparent/ independent/ impartial investigations into allegations of torture, ill-treatment, medical neglect, & denial of due process in immigration detention facilities across the state.
▪ Ensure effective oversight/ transparency/ accountability mechanisms for detention facilities, incl through independent monitoring by elected officials/ human rights/civil society

TO THE GOV OF THE US
▪ End criminalization of migration by ending prosecutions under 8 USC 1325.
▪ End mass migration detention in the US.
▪ Establish a presumption of liberty in immigration proceedings, so detention is only in extraordinary circumstances to verify identity or in clear evidence of a flight risk that cannot be mitigated by alternative. Ensure facilities abide by civil detention standards & respect health, welfare, & all rights.
▪ Refrain from detaining for solely for irregular entry or stay.
▪ Prohibit use of private for-profit, state-owned or state-operated facilities for detention of individs in federal immigration custody.
▪ End all 287(g) agreements & halt collaboration between state/ local enforcement agencies & fed civil immigration enforcement.
▪ Prohibit solitary confinement for individs detained for immigration reasons.
▪ Ensure that all allegations of torture, ill-treatment, or deaths in custody are promptly, impartially, & effectively investigated, & perpetrators held accountable.
▪ End practice of transferring individs b/w ICE facilities to obstruct access to counsel/ family contact.
▪ Reinstate & strengthen ICE’s Guidelines for Enforcement Actions in or Near Protected Areas (2021), prohibiting enforcement activities in schools, healthcare facilities, places of worship, & other protected locations.
▪ Establish right to counsel for people in immigration proceedings & ensure people are guaranteed legal counsel, incl translation, in all immigration court proceedings. Ensure orgs that provide legal & other services to individuals in detention are adequately funded.
▪ Respect nonrefoulement at all times & ensure no one, regardless of status, is returned where their life/ safety are at risk. Ensure assessment prior to any removal & the right to due process, incl the right to effective remedy. Refrain from removing individs to countries where not nationals.
▪ Allow Congress unfettered access to conduct unannounced inspections for oversight

8.3 TO THE US SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
▪ Members of Congress should use their oversight authority to conduct oversight over detention facilities and immigration enforcement in their states and districts. Members of Congress must use their oversight authority to conduct unnuanced visits to ICE detention facilities, in order to provide the most accurate oversight of facilities.
▪ Pass the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act to create a presumption of liberty in all immigration custody decisions, end mandatory detention, prohibit the use of solitary confinement, and requirements on conditions and performance-based accountability mechanisms.
▪ Cut funds to ICE and CBP and redirect funds from immigration enforcement, surveillance, and detention into programs that protect communities such as healthcare, housing, education, and food assistance.
▪ Prohibit the use of federal funds to reimburse states for the costs of the construction or operation of immigration detention facilities.
▪ Amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to remove section 287(g) and prohibit federal funding to states to perform any function of immigration enforcement.
▪ Amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to repeal section 1325 and end the criminalization of migration.
▪ Establish and fund a right to counsel in immigration court, and ensure people are guaranteed legal counsel, as well as translation services, in all immigration court proceedings.
▪ Pass immigration reform to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented people living in the United States, decriminalize migration, eliminate expedited removal and mandatory detention, &repurpose the US immigration system into one that is truly civil and administrative.

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Dec 9

My favorite local pie shop in Baltimore, Pie Time, is closing. I managed to snag a photo of the best bathroom mirror ever before it goes away.

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Nov 30

I love that @pbsnews.org often ends their segments with a relevant fact or data to support what was covered (with citations!)

"The average hourly wage necessary to afford a one-bedroom apartment in the United States is $28.17. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25." Cited from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Nov 5

Join Rainbow Railroad and the The Interfaith Center at Miami University for a virtual conversation on November 11, 2025 at 7pm ET to learn more about their work helping LGBTQI+ individuals around the world escape persecution & find safety RSVP: bit.ly/TIC-RR

"On the Tracks to Freedom: Rainbow Railroad's Work for LGBTQIA+ Migrants" Tuesday, November 11, 2025 7pm ET/ 4PM PT. Join us to learn about Rainbow Railroad, a global not-for-profit that helps LGBTQI+ individuals escape persecution around the world and connect with safe communities in their destination countries through emergency travel support and post-relocation assistance. Link to register: http://bit.ly/TIC-RR

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Oct 9

@armandalegshow.bsky.social's recent episode highlighted a useful handout put together by Thomas Sanford that helps US patients get help with their medical bills.

Help With Your Medical Expenses: Resource Guide for Patients
Your Hospital Bill Could Be Forgiven
Most hospitals offer bill forgiveness
programs. On average, a family of 4
earning less than $100,000 a year will
qualify.
Use the Dollar For tool to check if you
qualify, and get help applying for free.
dollarfor.org
Use the Lown Institute Hospital Index to
see how your local hospitals compare in
providing charity care and financial
assistance
lownhospitalsindex.org
On Medicare and Having Insurance
Problems?
If your plan is denying a claim or
causing issues, call the Medicare Rights
Center:
800-333-4114
www.medicarerights.org
Prescription Costs Too High?
Needy Meds has a detailed list of
programs and discounts for medications.
needymeds.org
Uninsured? You May Qualify for
Medicaid or an Affordable Plan
If you don’t have insurance, you may
be able to get coverage with a very
low premium — or even free
coverage. Find free help near you to
enroll.
localhelp.healthcare.gov
Or check if you qualify for Medicaid
on your own:
medicaid.gov

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Sep 30

No more "Beardos" in the military. Sir, General Burnside would like a word.

Picture of Union General Ambrose Burnside.

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Sep 27

every time someone talks about winter coming I envision this scene from Bone.

Fone Bone sits in the woods wondering is he'll be able to find his cousins before winter comes. Suddenly, a shadow is cast by a think horizontal stripe of snow appears falling to earth all at once, like a blanket. "Whump!" It hits the ground, covering Fone Bone in a foot of snow. "Case in Point.", says Fone Bone, his head capped in snow.

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Sep 8

My feelings on *extends hand outwardly* would best be expressed either through Tina Belcher's groan while lying under the table or Chidi Anagonye's "My stomach hurts". I may be about to go on a shirtless shopping bender & then make a huge pot of chili with peeps & M&Ms.

An image of a huge pot of chili with marshmallow Peeps and M&Ms. Chidi Anagonye from "The Good Place" says, "You put the Peeps in the chili pot and eat them both up". A second picture has Chidi in a lavender shirt that says "Who, What, Where, When, Wine!" with a wine glass and standing in front of his philosophy class stirring in M&Ms and saying, "You put the Peeps in the chili pot and add the M&Ms." A third image has Chidi looking own into the chili while stirring and saying, "You put the Peeps in the chili pot, it makes it taste... bad."

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Aug 2

One of my favorite t-shirts features a woman with bicycle face on a velocipede. I wish could remember the name of the artist that used to make these history based comics online. Help me internet!

A late 19th century woman riding a velocipede with bicycle face, smoking with her pantaloons and legs flailing in the air and leaving the world in her dust. At the top it says "Ain't give a damn".

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Jul 30

centerforhealthjournalism.org/our-work/web...

USC Center for Health Journalism Webinar on "Disappearing Data and How Reporters Can Respond"
July 30, 2025, 10 - 11am PDT

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Jul 21

@strictscrutiny.bsky.social Mesdames. je vous presente... La bouillabaisse...

Two stressed out fish in a plugged in blender. One screams out "I can't stand the tension!"

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Jun 28

@skypeascientist.bsky.social and @sarahmackattack.bsky.social I attached my stickers to magnetic sheeting to give them more mileage on my bumper!

Stickers from skype a scientist that say "Save our freaks, don't mine the deep" and another with squid on a phone with a number to text for fquid facts. Also featured their tshirt that says "Biology is bigger than binaries" with a lily, bee, and clownfish.

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Jun 14

General vibe in Baltimore City today.

Divine, Johns Water's muse and famous Baltimore Drag Queen, scowling with extreme disgust at a young Donald Trump.

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Jun 11

@globalhealthnow.bsky.social Thank you for this headline. It is the best summation of the findings. Agency is THE take-away to inform effective policy. Especially now w/ removed safety nets, pro-natalist policies, criminalization of common pregnancy complications, & fetal personhood bills.

Headline: A Lack of ‘Reproductive Agency’ as Global Fertility Declines

The “unprecedented” drop in global fertility stems from social and economic barriers—not a rejection of parenthood—finds the new State of the World Population 2025 report from the UN Population Fund.

Key finding: 1 in 5 adults say they expect to have fewer children than they want due to financial barriers and insecurity about the future.

“The issue is lack of choice, not desire,” UNFPA head Natalia Kanem told The Guardian.

The report draws on a survey of ~14,000 people from 14 low-, middle-, and high-income countries that represent 37% of the global population, reports the BBC.

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Apr 16

artbma.org/exhibition/h...

screenshot of the Baltimore Museum of Art exhibit page for "Heavy with History: Devin Allen and the Baltimore Uprising" showing April 16 - June 22, 2025. And showing a photograph of a group of people with their arms raised and with a Black man centered holding up an image of Freddie Gray with "#freddiegrayslifemattered".

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Apr 14

Different types of institutions, leadership structures, faculty & staff make-up, student make-up , & funding sources. Makes mobilization challenging for this moment. carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/carnegie-cla... www.hepi.ac.uk/2024/07/04/a... www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-...

33 Carnegie classifications of Higher ed. - tribal colleges & unis., special focus institutions (2yr, 4 yr), doctoral unis (doct/ professional unis, high research, & very high research), masters colleges & unis (small, med, large), Baccalaureate b(arts &science, diverse fields), baccalaureate & associates colleges (mixed, associates dominant), & associates colleges (high Transfer-High Traditional, High Transfer-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional, High Transfer-High Nontraditional, Mixed Transfer/Career & Technical-High Traditional, Mixed Transfer/Career & Technical-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional, Mixed Transfer/Career & Technical-High Nontraditional, High Career & Technical-High Traditional, High Career & Technical-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional, High Career & Technical-high nontraditional).
https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/carnegie-classification/

Kirby@kirbytheawsum· Jan 8

#Publichealth #Medsky A top 10 list of the most egregious examples of profiteering & dysfunction in American healthcare for 2024. lowninstitute.org/projects/202...